Best: Philadelphia 76ers — Julius Erving
It’s a tight race between Julius Erving and Charles Barkley for top historic 76er, but we’ll give a slight edge to Dr. J over the Round Mound of Rebound in two of the best NBA nicknames ever. Barkley hit the better peak as a Sixer since Erving played his best years in the ABA, but Dr. J matched Barkley’s MVP win and won the one thing Barkley wasn’t able to win: a ring.
Erving averaged 22 points a game and made the All Star Game all 11 seasons in Philadelphia. Interestingly enough, neither of them leads the franchise in all-time win shares. That honor goes to Dolph Schayes by a fairly wide margin, but Schayes dominated in the 50s for the Syracuse Nationals, so we’ll stick with the modern guys.
Worst: Philadelphia 76ers — Andrew Bynum
In 2012 the 76ers traded away Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Mo Harkless, and a first-round pick in the blockbuster four-team Dwight Howard trade, and they did it all to build around talented 25-year-old All Star Andrew Bynum. In what would become a theme for prize Sixers acquisitions to come, Bynum struggled all year with injuries.
While nursing knee injuries, Bynum infamously suffered a setback in a bowling alley and ended up missing the entire season before leaving Philadelphia in free agency. He never played a game for the franchise. But he might just be keeping a seat warm for Markelle Fultz these days.